FASHION A R T C I N E M A

Want to Spend the Night at Versailles? A New Luxury Hotel Is Slated to Open

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Living that fairy-tale lifestyle is about to get a little bit easier. The Château de Versailles, i.e., Marie Antoinette’s colossal former home and the site of Kim and Kanye’s wedding rehearsal dinner, will soon be home to a luxury hotel. The Lov Hotel Collection—which already runs six stunning residences in Europe—has been chosen to transform three of the stately side buildings on the estate. Of course, not everyone is happy about the impending change to the historical landmark, but it comes at a time when the French state seems unable to maintain the massive institution without generating additional revenue to support it.
To that end, the hotel compound will take up approximately 30,000 square feet next to the verdant Orangerie, and house only 20—undoubtedly luxurious—rooms. There will also be a restaurant, helmed by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, which will offer haute French cuisine (dare we hope for some Marie-inspired cake?). And while the announcement might make an architectural preservationist’s wig quiver, a spokesperson for the Château confirmed that the three buildings were already overdue for repairs. The hotel chain will likely foot much of the bill for the extensive renovations, estimated to cost between $4.5 and $8 million. We must wait patiently—the doors are set to open in 2018—but in the meantime, we’ve got our candy-color, Sofia Coppola–inspired, hoop-skirted daydreams.